Folding bed.



Nq. 804,594. PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905. J. D. FROMAN da 'I'. M. LANHAM.

FULDING BBD.

APPLIQATION FILED MAY 29, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 804,594. PATENTED NOV. 14., 1905. J. D. FROMAN L T. M. LANHAM.

FLDING BBD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY rnrnnr ernten.

JOSEPH D. FROMAN AND THOMAS M. LANHAM, OF VEVAY, INDIANA.

FLDIING BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 141., 1905.

Application filed May 29,1905. Serial No. 262,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH D. FROMAN and THOMAS M. LANHAivncitizens ofthe United States, and residents'of Vevay, in the county of Switzerlandand State of Indiana, have invented a new and ImprovedFolding Bed, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to afoldingbed which can be combined with abookcase, settee, wardrobe, dresser, and various other kinds offurniture.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide for folding' a bedin such a manner that it will occupy much smaller space than has beenthe case heretofore, and especially to reduce'the vertical spaceoccupied by the bed in folded position.

Further objects of the'invention are to provide efhcient means forholding the bed both in folded and unfolded positions and forsimplifying and generally improving the con- 4 struction of articles ofthis character.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined bookcase and bed,illustrating our invention, the bed appearing in unfolded position. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 8 is a transversesectional view of the device, showing the bed in folded position. Fig. tis a fragmentary view of a joint. Fig. 5 is a plan of the parts shown inFig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the means for supporting1 andguiding the footboard on an enlarged scale.

While wehave shown our bed as being combined with a bookcase, it isunderstood that this is illustrated for convenience, and for the reasonthat on account of the shape and size which the bed assumes when foldedit is especially adapted for this purpose. It will be readily perceived,however, that the bed can conveniently be combined with many otherarticles of furniture.

The bookcase or other article with which the bed is to be combined isprovided with a box 1() at the lower part thereof, said box preferablyhaving a lid 11 which can be lifted to allow the folding of the bed.

Then in the first- In this bor;l

named position, thefront 18 of the box 10 and the corn er-pieces 14.located thereon constitute the corner-pieces of the boX and are slidback to a posit-ion just Linder the cover. The frame is provided withpivots 15, upon which the {irst section 16 of the folding' bed ismounted. This section is provided with a surface 17, which when the bedis folded up forms acontinuation of the front plate 18 of the frame, andconsequently completes the surface which will be exposed to view whenthe bed is in folded position. The first section is connected with thesecond section 18 by means of a pair of segments 19, which are iixedlymounted upon these two sections of the bed and which engage with eachother. These segments are located near the upper adjacent corners of thesections 16 and 18, and consequently the second section can be rotatedabout this corner into engagement with the first section, the segmentsmeshing with each other at all times. I

Wie are aware that beds with two sections which fold rtogether have beenconstructed; but these sections usually have to be made so long thatwhen folded the bed occupies a space which prevents its combination withan ordinary bookcase and also prevents its use for the lower part of asettee, bench, or the like. To overcome this objection, we have dividedthe bed into three parts, the third section 2O being connected with thesecond section by means of a bracket 21 on the second section and abracket 22 on the third. These brackets are provided with segmentssimilar to the segments 19 and operate in the same way. The iirst andthird sections are provided with cross-bars 28 and 2&1, with which theends of a wire fabric 25 are connected. This fabric is stretched into ataut position when the third section is down, and as the pivots by whichthe several sections are connected with each other are located abovethis fabric the fabric itself serves to hold the bed in its unfoldedposition, acting to draw the parts backward from the joints.

We prefer to support the fabric at several points by means of springs26, resting on cross-bars 27, mounted on thc sections 16 and 18. Thesefurnish a yielding butlirm support for the bed when placed where thegreatest part of the weightis applied. The section 18 is provided withmovable legs 28 for supporting the foot of the bed when in unfoldedposition and so hinged that when folded they lie crosswise of the bedand lengthwise of the IOO IOS

IIO

bed-Slat. We also provide a footboard 29, l having pivots 3() mounted inslots 31 upon the l section 20. A circular slot 32 is also provided inan extension 33 on this section 2O for g'uiding a pin 34 in the side ofthe footboard. This slot is concentric with the upper portion of i theslot 31, and it is provided with an eXteni sion 35, in which the pin 34may drop when i the footboard reaches its eXtreme position, thispermitting' the pin 30 to drop to the bottom of the slot 31 and holding'the board in the desired place. The outer parts of the sec- 3 tion 2Oare provided with offset portions 36 to permit the end of the section topass the conj nection by means of which the part 18 isjoined l to thepart 16.

In order to hold the section 16 in horizontal position when turned downbefore the sections 18 and 2O are folded or unfolded, we employ aspring-catch 37 for engaging a projection 38 on the section 16.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A folding' bed, comprising a foot-sectionhaving a curved slot provided with an offset and an elongated slot inline with said offset, and a footboard having projections entering saidslots, whereby the footboard is pivotalljT mounted in the elongated slotand guided by the curved slot.

2. A folding' bed, comprising a foot-section having a curved slotprovided with an offset, an elongated slot in line with said offset andpassing through the center of said curved slot, and a footboard havingprojections entering said slots.

3. A folding' bed, comprising'a series Ofsections adapted to fold uponeach other, one of said sections being a foot-section, said footlsection being provided with a projection'havinga curved slot providedwith a downwardlyextending' offset; said foot-section also being'provided with an elongated slot in line with said offset, the upperportion of said elongated i slot constituting the center of said curvedslot, and a footboard having projections entering said slots, wherebythe footboard is pivotally mounted in the elongated slot.

4. rlhe combination with a bookcase, of a frame slidably mounted thereinand having a front portion constituting when closed acontinuation of thefront surface of said bookcase, and a bed-section pivotally mounted onsaid frame and having' a lower surface constituting a continuation ofthe front surface of said frame.

5. rlhe combination with a bookcase, of a frame slidably mounted thereinand having a f front portion constituting when closed a continuation ofthe front surface of said bookcase, and a bed-section pivotally mountedon said frame and having a lower surface constituting a continuation ofthe front surface of said frame; said bed-section being provided with aprojection, and said frame being' provided with a spring-catch adaptedto engage the projection to assist in holding the bedsection inhorizontal position.

6. The combination with a bookcase having a receptacle in the lowerportion thereof, of a frame slidably mounted in said receptacle andhaving a front portion constituting when closed a continuation of thefront surface of said bookcase, a bed-section pivotally mounted on saidframe and having a lower surface constituting' a continuation of thefront surface of said frame, and a plurality of sections connected withsaid first-mentioned section and adapted to be folded within saidreceptacle.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH D. FROMAN. THOMAS M. LANHAM.

l/Vitnesses:

CLARENCE R. DRAKE, EDWARD TILLY.

